As global events, such as the conflict in Ukraine, continue to impact food supply, it is imperative that food manufacturers maintain factory audits and supply chain assessments to preserve food safety. With the recent Kakhovka dam burst in Ukraine flooding hundreds of thousands of hectares of land being used for agriculture, a significant impact on food supply is expected to be felt globally.
LRQA is warning manufacturers to be vigilant against food fraud, particularly if new suppliers are not vetted to the appropriate standards, and ensure critical factory audits and supply chain assessments are not skipped.
The Food Standards Agency defines food fraud as ‘food crime as serious fraud and related criminality in food supply chains’. This definition also includes activity impacting on drink and animal feed. It can be seriously harmful to consumers, food businesses and the wider food industry.
Kimberly Coffin, global technical director for supply chain assurance at LRQA, said: “The current situation has been referred to as a worldwide food crisis, and the EU and UN have both issued ‘serious risk’ warnings. Because of this, we must be vigilant against all forms of food fraud, and we are urging all food producers to take the necessary safeguards to defend supply chain integrity and safeguard consumers.
“Only when a food brand can demonstrate the integrity of their supply network can they be confident of the absence of unadulterated food and the subsequent mis-labelling risks. Adulterated, mis-labelled food may lead to regulatory sanctions and have serious implications for consumer safety.
“Considering that the food industry has already faced so many challenges in the past few years, some businesses could be devastated by a significant food fraud incident, such as the horse meat scandal in 2013. The food industry at every stage of supply must remain vigilant in the defence against food fraud.”
For more information on how to ensure food security, visit: www.lrqa.com.